The invention relates, generally, to material handling systems-and, more particularly, to an improved system for diverting articles from a conveyor.
Material handling systems are used in a wide variety of applications and often include conveyors with moving belts, power driven rollers or the like for transporting objects of various sizes and shapes along a path. It is also common for these systems to include branch or auxiliary conveyors, chutes, ramps, work stations or the like arranged adjacent to the conveyor. Diverters or pusher arms are provided to push the articles transversely from the conveyor onto the branch or auxiliary conveyors, chutes, or ramps.
In the existing systems, it is usually necessary to space the articles on the conveyor a distance sufficient to allow the pusher to retract between pushing successive articles. As a result, the cycle time is relatively long and the number of articles that can be conveyed and diverted per unit time is relatively small. Moreover, it is typically desirable to center the article relative to the auxiliary or branch conveyor before diverting it to ensure that the article is properly aligned thereon. In existing systems locating the center of an article typically includes the use of a plurality of sensors and complex. mathematical calculations.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,242,342 issued to Gabar discloses a typical prior art method for locating the center of an article and diverting it transversely from a first conveyor to a transverse conveyor. It is necessary to space the articles by a dead space "d" to ensure that the diverter does not inadvertently contact a downstream article when diverting the upstream article onto the transverse conveyor. This dead space lessens the capacity of the system. Moreover, the method and apparatus for determining the centers of the articles requires a plurality of sensors and complex controls.
Another example of a transverse sorting and conveying system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,678 issued to Moyer and requires sophisticated computer and mathematical processes to determine the center of the articles. The Moyer system also spaces the articles before sorting by intermittently running a pacing conveyor to control the spacing of the articles on the sorting conveyor.
Thus, an improved conveying system for delivering articles transversely that minimizes the spacing between the articles and simplifies the procedure for locating the centers of the articles is desired.